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Grave Tone: Horror Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Meaghan Mains
Grave Tone is a horror podcast covering the genre across books, film, TV, and games. From cult classics to fresh nightmares, we dig into the stories that scare us — and why we can’t stop coming back for more. Whether it’s a blood-soaked slasher, a slow-burn psychological thriller, or the horror novel everyone’s talking about, we cover it all. If it bleeds, reads, streams, or screams… it’s on Grave Tone.
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- Yesterday41 min
In a Violent Nature 2: Ry Barrett on Johnny's Kills, Prep & the Sequel
In a Violent Nature 2 is coming, and we got to sit down with the man who makes Johnny tick. Ry Barrett — actor, stuntman, and the face (well, mask) of one of the most talked-about slasher characters in recent horror memory — joins Arthur and Meaghan for a full conversation about what it takes to play a silent killer, how he prepared for the sequel, and what fans should expect when Johnny hits a summer camp. We get into the physicality of playing Johnny: the shoulder-first movement system, the checklist Ry ran through before every take, and the work cinematographer Pierce Derks put in just to keep pace. The bear attack videos that shaped how Ry moved through the first film. The shark attack footage he watched for the sequel — and what that hints at for Johnny's energy in In a Violent Nature 2. Ry talks about the moment of humanity he fought to keep in the original, the Steven Kostanski makeup that made it possible, and why he thinks Johnny works as a slasher villain in a way that stands alongside the classics. We compare notes on Canadian horror icons — Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine, Ginger Snaps — and what it means to have Johnny take his place in that lineage. There's a panel story involving Kane Hodder, Lee Waddell, and Tom Morga that you'll want to hear. Plus: the plan for a third film, the possibility of a Fantasia premiere, and Ry's personal zombie apocalypse survival strategy (it involves duct tape). The Physicality of Playing a Silent Slasher Ry Barrett built Johnny's movement from a checklist — specific posture elements he ran through mentally before every single take to keep the character consistent across shooting days. The shoulder-first movement was a collaborative system developed with cinematographer Pierce Derks, who hand-held and followed Barrett through every scene — a physical cue system so Derks could frame correctly without verbal communication on a live take. Barrett studied bear attack footage to shape Johnny's baseline energy in the first film: smooth and territorial until the moment it becomes an attack, at which point the animal shifts completely. [LINK: In a Violent Nature (2024)] For In a Violent Nature 2, he switched to shark attack footage — which he hints connects directly to the sequel's tone and pacing, though he's deliberately cagey about the specifics. In a Violent Nature 2: What to Expect The sequel picks up directly after the events of the first film — no time jump — and moves Johnny into a summer camp setting, leaning further into the Friday the 13th tradition while doing something genuinely different with it. Barrett describes the sequel's Johnny as already operating at the heightened viciousness of the end of the first film, sustained throughout. He estimates there are at least three kills on the level of the yoga scene — and then more. The script, written by Chris Nash and directed by Nathaniel Wilson, still preserves the mystery around Johnny — the unreliable narration of the mythology remains intact — while adding new angles on the character. A tentative late summer/early fall 2026 window is discussed; Barrett also floated the possibility of a Fantasia Film Festival premiere without confirming anything. [CONFIRM: release window with IFC Films/Shudder before publishing] Canadian Horror and the Slasher Icon Question Arthur and Meaghan make the case for Barrett's Johnny as the Canadian answer to Kane Hodder's Jason — a comparison Barrett takes seriously given Hodder's status as the definitive physical performer behind a masked slasher. Barrett has met Kane Hodder multiple times — including once at a Nashville convention where he found himself on a panel alongside Hodder, Lee Waddell (original Ghostface in Scream), and Tom Morga (the only actor to play Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Michael Myers on screen) and describes mostly just listening in awe the entire time. The episode touches on the deep bench of Canadian horror films that tend to get absorbed into the general horror canon without their origins being noted: Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine, Ginger Snaps — and now In a Violent Nature. [LINK: Canadian Horror Film Recommendations] The Horror Community and Making Indie Film Barrett traces his career in indie horror back to a micro-budget film made with friends in 2002 — which ended up being distributed worldwide through Lions Gate/Alliance Atlantis and basically set the course for everything after. He talks about the horror community as a self-sustaining ecosystem of fans, filmmakers, and convention culture — more accessible and more genuinely welcoming than most other genre communities he's encountered. The practical demands of the role: months of physical preparation, the reality of working in
- 1 weeks ago46 min
Backrooms (2026) Review: Kane Parsons Delivers One of the Year's Best Horror Films
Backrooms is here, and we went on opening night. Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old who built the Backrooms universe on YouTube as Kane Pixels and became A24's youngest feature director in the process, delivers something that genuinely holds up. This is slow-burning psychological horror with real atmosphere, a committed lead performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor, and a level of visual dread that stays with you well after you leave the theater. In this episode, Arthur and Meaghan break down the film in full, including the creepypasta and Kane Pixels YouTube lore that started it all, what it means for the story (and why catching up on the shorts adds a whole other layer), and why the 30,000-square-foot practical set makes such a difference. We get into the cast — Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve carry this thing on their backs — plus some fun horror Easter eggs scattered through the supporting cast, including a Ginger Snaps scream queen sighting and a Tucker & Dale vs. Evil deep cut. We also talk about the "ghost directing" controversy, why Kane Parsons absolutely directed this film, and why the YouTube-to-Hollywood pipeline is producing some of the most interesting horror of the decade. Backrooms scored an 8.5 from both of us — and that number might go up on a rewatch. The Origin: Creepypasta, 4chan, and Kane Pixels The Backrooms began as a single liminal space image posted to 4chan, which spawned creepypasta lore and a wave of community-built content. Kane Parsons — now known as Kane Pixels — launched his YouTube series The Backrooms (Found Footage) in January 2022 at age 16, built entirely in Blender and Adobe After Effects. The YouTube series has amassed over 190 million views across roughly 15–20 episodes and developed a massive cult following, with dedicated lore breakdown videos clocking in at 90+ minutes. The core lore: a company called Async accidentally created a pocket universe through particle acceleration experiments; that universe began collapsing into our own, trapping people inside — timeline distortions, entities, and all. The Film: Psychological Horror & Liminal Dread Directed by Kane Parsons (his feature directorial debut), written by Will Soodik, and produced by A24 with executive producers James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins. Set in 1990 California; Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a furniture store owner and failed architect, discovers an entry point into the Backrooms in his store's basement through unexplained electrical failures. The film leans into slow burn psychological horror over conventional scares — eerie atmosphere sustained throughout, with brief moments of levity that land because of how well they're placed. A 30,000-square-foot practical set was built for production; crew members reportedly got lost in it during filming, which tells you everything about the level of commitment to the physical environment. The period setting is fully realized — costume design, furniture, the aesthetic of late-eighties elements bleeding into 1990, Clark's pirate-themed furniture commercials — all of it feels deliberate. The Cast: Who's in It and Why It Works Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark delivers one of the year's best horror performances — a fully formed, deeply flawed human being whose descent across two very different timelines is completely believable. Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline (fresh off her Oscar-nominated turn in The Worst Person in the World and her role in Sentimental Value) brings emotional grounding to the film's second half. Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett (Targaryen fans will clock him immediately), Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia round out the supporting cast. Duplass went on record defending Parsons' directing publicly when the ghost-directing rumors started. Horror Easter eggs buried in the supporting cast: Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Freddy vs. Jason) appears briefly as a character named Robin; Philip Granger (the sheriff in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) plays an electrician; Sawyer Fraser, recently seen as Jude in Netflix's Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, appears in a scene at Phil's house. Originally, Cristin Milioti was in negotiations for the role of Mary before Renate Reinsve was cast. What We Actually Thought (Mild Spoilers) Both Arthur and Meaghan landed at 8.5/10 — with both acknowledging the score might move higher on a rewatch once you can catch the Easter eggs and lore callbacks you missed the first time. The atmosphere is relentlessly maintained; the practical sets mean the actors are physically inside the space, and it shows. You can basically smell the carpet. Kane Parsons co-scored the film alongside Edo van Breemen. The sound design does more
- 2 weeks ago45 min
Passenger (2026) Review: Is Øvredal's Road Trip Demon Worth Seeing?
Passenger (2026) review: André Øvredal returns to horror with a supernatural road trip that looks incredible and scares hard, but leaves questions unanswered. In this episode, we dig into the Autopsy of Jane Doe director's latest film, where a young couple's van life adventure turns into a demonic nightmare after they stop at a fatal highway crash. Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio play Maddie and Tyler, and we talk about what works (the cinematography by Federico Verardi is genuinely stunning), what surprised us (a few jump scares we did not see coming), and where the story falls apart. The religious mythology around the Passenger entity feels half-baked, the character lore is thin, and the whole thing could have come out a decade ago and felt the same. We get into spoiler territory on the hobo code, the Saint Christopher symbology, and what the film does (and doesn't) answer about its own monster. Plus: where Passenger fits in an absolutely stacked May 2026 for original horror, how it compares to Hokum, Obsession, and At the Place of Ghosts, and why Backrooms is the one we cannot wait for next week. Featuring: André Øvredal, Lou Llobell, Jacob Scipio, Melissa Leo, Joseph Lopez, Federico Verardi, T.W. Burgess, and Zachary Donohue. André Øvredal's Road Horror Legacy Passenger is Øvredal's follow-up to The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), continuing his pattern of never repeating a sub-genre twice. Previous credits include Trollhunter (2010), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019). Written by T.W. Burgess and Zachary Donohue, produced by Walter Hamada (18Hz Productions) and Gary Dauberman (Coin Operated), distributed by Paramount Pictures. Cast and Performances in Passenger (2026) Lou Llobell stars as Maddie, bringing depth to a character wrestling with abandonment and stability. Llobell is known for her role in Foundation on Apple TV+. Jacob Scipio plays Tyler, the van life enthusiast with a complicated relationship to home and routine. Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, 2010) plays Diana, the figure who introduces the couple to the road's mythology. Joseph Lopez plays the Passenger entity itself. Cinematography and Visual Craft Cinematographer Federico Verardi delivers standout sequences: the hazard light flat tire scene, the film projector in the forest (with Roman Holiday overlaying onto the trees), and the continuously rotating parking lot shot where the van drifts further away with each turn. The visual work is the strongest element of the film; even mixed reviews acknowledge that Passenger is a gorgeous-looking movie. Supernatural Rules and Road Mythology The Passenger attaches itself to travelers who break the road rules: do not drive at night, and never stop for anything. The hosts dig into the hobo code symbols that appear throughout the film, Saint Christopher as the patron saint of travelers, and the religious symbology that doesn't fully connect to the entity's origins. Both hosts agree the lore is undercooked; the exposition feels rushed or possibly edited down from a longer cut. May 2026: An Insane Month for Original Horror Passenger opens in a month stacked with Hokum (Damien McCarthy / NEON), At the Place of Ghosts, Obsession, and the highly anticipated Backrooms (A24, May 29). The hosts discuss how this scheduling may have hurt Passenger's reception. Grave Tone: Horror Podcast crew previews Backrooms and flags Saccharin and Corporate Retreat as additional titles they're tracking for late May 2026. Ratings and Final Verdict Meaghan: 4.5/10 — effective scares and strong cinematography, but generic writing and unresolved mythology pull it down. Arthur: 5/10 — solid jump scares and cool transitions, likable characters who make smart decisions, but ultimately middle of the road. Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d
- 3 weeks ago43 min
Obsession Review: The Best Horror Movie of 2026 Just Arrived
Obsession (2026) review: Curry Barker's horror film is terrifying, hilarious, and emotionally devastating. We rate it 9.5/10. Arthur and Meaghan review Obsession, the new supernatural horror from 26-year-old writer/director Curry Barker. We break down Inde Navarrette's award-worthy performance as Nikki, the be-careful-what-you-wish-for premise powered by the One Wish Willow, Barker's rise from YouTube comedy (That's a Bad Idea, Milk & Serial) to a Focus Features horror classic, and why this might be the best horror movie of 2026. We cover the cast (Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter), the TIFF premiere and $15M bidding war, comparisons to Get Out and Talk to Me, the comedy-to-horror pipeline, toxic relationship horror, and every scene that had our hands sweating. Discussed in this episode: Obsession (2026): The Horror Event of the Year Written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker; produced by Blumhouse, Tea Shop Productions, Capstone Studios; distributed by Focus Features Premiered at TIFF 2025 (Midnight Madness); screened at SXSW 2026; theatrical release May 15, 2026 Currently holds 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic; sold to Focus Features for over $15 million after a 24-hour bidding war involving A24 and Neon We rate Obsession 9.5 out of 10 digs; one of the highest scores we've ever given on the podcast Curry Barker: The Comedy-to-Horror Pipeline Co-creator of YouTube comedy channel That's a Bad Idea with Cooper Tomlinson; rose to viral fame with the $800-budget short film Milk & Serial (2024), which hit 2.3 million views on YouTube [LINK: Milk & Serial on YouTube] Follows the comedy-to-horror trajectory of Jordan Peele (Get Out), Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons), and the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me) Next project: Anything But Ghosts (Focus Features) starring Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw; also attached to write and direct a new Texas Chain Saw Massacre The Cast: An Ensemble That Hits Every Note Michael Johnston (Teen Wolf) as Bear (Baron); a performance that keeps you locked into his guilt and desperation the entire runtime Inde Navarrette (Superman & Lois) as Nikki Freeman; a star-making, award-worthy turn that shifts from charming to demonic in a heartbeat; comparisons to Mia Goth in Pearl [LINK: Inde Navarrette Interview Magazine profile] Cooper Tomlinson as Ian, Megan Lawless as Sarah, Andy Richter (Conan) as Carter; the friend group chemistry feels genuinely lived-in Be Careful What You Wish For: The Horror of the One Wish Willow Premise rooted in the monkey's paw trope; Barker cites The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror as direct inspiration Bear's wish ("I wish for her to love me more than anyone in the world") triggers a supernatural curse that strips Nikki of her autonomy and replaces her with something terrifying Comparisons to Get Out (the sunken place), Black Mirror, Bedazzled, and Fatal Attraction Psychological Horror and Toxic Relationship Themes Obsession explores infatuation versus love, codependence, unrequited feelings, and what it means to remove someone's agency for your own comfort Bear's natural chemistry with Sarah's character highlights how forced and artificial his "relationship" with cursed Nikki really is The customer support hotline scene condenses everything great about the movie into two minutes: comedy, horror, and devastating emotional stakes all at once Standout Moments and Horror Craft The corner scene: Nikki standing in the dark at 3 AM with a slow, jerky shuffle; the entire theater shifted in discomfort The duct tape door and lingering Smile-like grin; the demon-eye lighting at the front door; practical effects and a head-smashing scene that was trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating Barker's editing instincts: knowing when to ramp intensity and when to pull back for quieter character moments is remarkable for a filmmaker this young Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast,
- 4 weeks ago50 min
At the Place of Ghosts Review: TIFF Standout Finally Hits Theatres
At the Place of Ghosts is the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits. Bretten Hannam's Mi'kmaq supernatural thriller follows two estranged brothers, Mise'l and Antle, who are forced back together when a malevolent spirit from their shared childhood begins poisoning them from the inside out. Their only option: enter Sk+te'kmujue'katik, the Place of Ghosts, a forest where time folds on itself and the living walk alongside ancestors, future selves, and the traumas they tried to leave behind. Arthur and Meaghan break down everything that makes this Canadian indigenous horror film work so well; the nonlinear storytelling that never loses you, the stunning Nova Scotia cinematography by Guy Godfree, the powerhouse performances from Forrest Goodluck and Blake Alec Miranda, and the way the film explores generational trauma, queerness, two-spirit identity, and Mi'kmaq culture without ever shoving it in your face. Premiering at TIFF 2025 and now hitting Canadian theatres on May 8, 2026 via VVS Films, this is a slow burn supernatural drama wrapped in a ghost story wrapped back into a drama again. Meaghan goes 9/10. Arthur's at a solid 8. Neither of them can find much to complain about, and honestly that almost never happens. In this episode, we cover: • Why the nonlinear storytelling actually works • The film's exploration of generational trauma and two-spirit identity • Stunning cinematography and the technical achievement of shooting in remote forests • How this compares to the current wave of indigenous horror • Red Dress Day, Moose Hide Campaign Day, and indigenous heritage resources • Book recommendations: Highway of Tears, Five Little Indians, Bad Cree, Never Whistle at Night At the Place of Ghosts releases in Canadian theatres May 8, 2026. About the Film At the Place of Ghosts (Sk+te'kmujue'katik) directed and written by Bretten Hannam; a Canada/Belgium co-production Starring Forrest Goodluck as Antle, Blake Alec Miranda as Mise'l, and Glen Gould as their father Cinematography by Guy Godfree; score by Jeremy Dutcher World premiere at TIFF 2025 (Platform Prize program); Canadian theatrical release May 8, 2026 via VVS Films Hannam's previous feature: Wildhood (2021), also exploring indigenous identity and brotherhood Mi'kmaq Culture, Two-Spirit Identity, and Generational Trauma The Mi'kmaq are indigenous peoples primarily residing in Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador) and parts of Maine The film features dialogue in both English and the Mi'kmaq language Exploration of two-spirit identity and gender fluidity within indigenous communities The impact of residential schools and colonialism on generational trauma, identity, and family dynamics Indigenous Heritage Days and Resources Red Dress Day (May 5): Commemorating missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people; originated from a 2010 art installation by Métis artist Jamie Black [LINK: Amnesty International MMIWG resources] Moose Hide Campaign Day (May 14): Grassroots movement engaging men and boys to end violence against indigenous women and children [LINK: moosehidecampaign.ca] National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30): Also known as Orange Shirt Day Indigenous Literature Recommendations Highway of Tears by Jessica McDiarmid; nonfiction investigating missing and murdered indigenous women along Highway 16 in BC Five Little Indians by Michelle Good; fiction based on real events about children escaping the residential school system Bad Cree by Jessica Johns; supernatural indigenous horror novel Never Whistle at Night edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.; bestselling indigenous dark fiction anthology. Sequel (Back for Blood) coming August 2026 What's Next Next week: Obsession by Curry Barker (in theatres May 15). Barker recently tapped to direct A24's Texas Chainsaw Massacre reimagining Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Ho
- May 5, 202651 min
Annie Neugebauer Talks The Extra, The Other, and Horror That Won't Let Go
Annie Neugebauer is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated horror author, and her work gets under your skin the way only the best psychological horror can. In this interview, we sit down with Annie to talk about The Outsiders Sequence, her series of wilderness horror novellas published through Shortwave Publishing, including her debut novella The Extra and the upcoming follow-up The Other, dropping June 9, 2026. We get into the big questions: what draws a writer to horror fiction in the first place, and why does the genre still carry a stigma when books like Interview with the Vampire and The Shining have been proving otherwise for decades? Annie talks about the power of mundane horror, how grounding a story in everyday life lets it slip past the reader's defenses, and why short fiction gives horror writers the freedom to take risks that longer formats don't always allow. We also dig into the concept Annie calls the "force field" in horror storytelling: the mechanism every horror writer needs to keep characters trapped in the story. From Stephen King's The Tommyknockers to Cabin in the Woods, and the very real problem that cell phones created for the genre (R.L. Stine agrees, by the way), this conversation covers the craft of building dread in a modern world that makes isolation harder and harder to pull off. Annie shares the books that stuck with her the most, from A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay to Broken Harbor by Tana French, and we play a round of horror survival scenarios that tells you everything you need to know about her relationship with the genre. She also teases two major unannounced projects that she describes as "dream come true level." Whether you read literary horror for the slow-burn dread or just want a good popcorn scare, this one is for you. Annie Neugebauer: Horror Author and The Outsiders Sequence Annie Neugebauer is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated short story author, nationally award-winning poet, and horror novelist Her debut novella The Extra is the first book in The Outsiders Sequence, published by Shortwave Publishing; her short story collection You Have to Let Them Bleed is from Bad Hand Books The Other (Outsiders Sequence #2) drops June 9, 2026; a couple meets their doppelgangers on a hiking trail; The Spare follows in spring 2027 Annie teases two major unannounced projects described as "dream come true level" — follow her at [LINK: annieneugebauer.com] and @AnnieNeugebauer on Instagram Literary Horror vs. Popcorn Horror: The Case for Both Annie makes the case that literary horror and commercial horror both have value; sometimes you need popcorn, sometimes you need to be challenged The conversation covers how Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire was proof that horror can do "important things and deep things and powerful things" Discussion of Ari Aster films (Midsommar, Hereditary) vs. franchise horror like The Conjuring and what each gives the audience Mundane Horror and the Art of Slow-Burn Dread Annie's approach to mundane horror: grounding stories in real life to get under the reader's defenses before the horror fully lands The horror that stays with you; Annie's "stuck in me" criterion for what separates good horror from unforgettable horror Books that achieved this: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, Broken Harbor by Tana French, The Shining, Salem's Lot, Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman The Force Field Problem and Cell Phones in Modern Horror Annie's concept of the "force field" in horror: every story needs a mechanism to trap characters in the situation From Stephen King's The Tommyknockers to Cabin in the Woods: literal and metaphorical containment strategies R.L. Stine recently called cell phones the worst thing to happen for horror, and Annie agrees; wilderness settings provide a natural force field for modern horror Short Fiction vs. Novels: Different Beasts, Same Genre Annie writes everything from poems to epic novels, but short fiction lets her take risks with faster reader buy-in The practical side: publishers can gamble on an unknown short story author in an anthology more easily than on a 120,000-word debut novel How The Outsiders Sequence evolved: each novella can stand alone but connects through a shared world; editor Alan Lastufka accidentally planted the seed for the series Horror Survival Scenarios and Childhood Scares Annie plays a round of horror survival scenarios: would survive the Overlook Hotel, would lose her psyche at Hill House, would make it decently far in Cabin in the Woods, and accepts her fate in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Childhood horror confessions: Annie was deeply traumatized by both Ana
- May 1, 202646 min
Hokum Review: Damian McCarthy's Best Horror Movie Yet?
Hokum review: Damian McCarthy's new horror movie is a near-perfect Irish folk horror film starring Adam Scott. We break down everything. Hokum just dropped, and we had to talk about it immediately. Damian McCarthy, the director behind Oddity and Caveat, delivered something special here. Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman, a horror writer who checks into a remote Irish hotel to scatter his parents' ashes and ends up locked in a haunted honeymoon suite with a witch, a missing woman, and a conspiracy that's entirely human. This is a full spoiler review (with a warning before we get into it). We cover Adam Scott's performance, McCarthy's visual style, the incredible use of lighting and sound design, comparisons to Stephen King's 1408 and The Shining, and why this might be one of the best horror movies of 2026. DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: Hokum (2026) — Dir. Damian McCarthy — Neon Cast: Adam Scott, David Wilmot, Peter Coonan, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O'Connell Also referenced: Oddity, Caveat, Severance, 1408, Secret Window, The Shining, Amnesia: The Dark Descent Hokum: The Movie and Why It Works Damian McCarthy's third feature after Caveat (2020) and Oddity (2024); currently sitting at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes Adam Scott stars as Ohm Bauman, a reclusive horror novelist who checks into a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes Folk horror meets haunted hotel; supernatural elements wrap a deeply human story about grief, guilt, and who the real villains are Distributed by Neon; premiered at SXSW in March 2026; theatrical release May 1, 2026 The Cast of Hokum: Who's Who at the Bilberry Woods Hotel Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman; David Wilmot as Jerry (you'll love him); Peter Coonan as Mal Florence Ordesh as Fiona the bartender; Michael Patric as Fergal the groundskeeper; Will O'Connell as Alby the bellhop Adam Scott watched Oddity, got obsessed, and essentially cast himself by cold-contacting McCarthy directly Damian McCarthy: From Electrician to Horror Auteur McCarthy was a working electrician in West Cork while making micro-budget shorts on weekends After festival rejections, he uploaded "He Dies at the End" to YouTube; it went viral and launched his career The character name "Ohm" is a nod to the electrical unit of resistance (and to McCarthy's own resistance to returning to that career) McCarthy edited Oddity himself on weekends over eighteen months; had an early draft of Hokum in the drawer the whole time Atmosphere and Visual Style: Horror in the Dark Cinematographer Colm Hogan returns from Oddity; heavy use of natural light, oil lanterns, and oppressive shadow The lighting doubles as character work: Ohm's darkness is literal and metaphorical from the opening scene Comparisons to Amnesia: The Dark Descent for the lantern-only exploration sequences Stephen King Vibes and Genre Comparisons Strong parallels to 1408 (grumpy writer, haunted hotel room), Secret Window (writer psychology), and The Shining (isolated hotel) McCarthy's recurring device: objects from previous films appear (Caveat's bunny in Oddity; Oddity's bell in Hokum) The film's title itself means "nonsense" — reflecting how the characters (and maybe the audience) first treat the witch folklore Coming Up on Grave Tone Interview with horror author Annie Nugabauer on her upcoming projects Interview with Rye Barrett (Johnny in In a Violent Nature) on the sequel and the Canadian horror scene May 2026 horror slate: Obsession, Saccharine, Corporate Retreat, Passenger, Backrooms, Pitfall Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Apr 24, 202656 min
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Traumatized Us, Here's Why
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) revisited — the post-Scream slasher that traumatized a generation. Full review and breakdown.The Childhood Trauma series is back on Grave Tone Podcast. Megan was nine years old when this movie shut her down, and we're going back to figure out exactly why. Wild production history, the convoluted plot decoded, and an honest look at whether this Kevin Williamson slasher holds up against Scream almost 30 years later.We cover the cast that was almost completely different (Reese Witherspoon, Jeremy Sisto), the reshoot that accidentally created the best jump scare in the movie, Sarah Michelle Gellar's hundred-splinter nightmare, and the original ending that was so bad Jim Gillespie sabotaged it on purpose. Plus Megan's full story of being terrified in a creaky basement at age nine. Featuring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr., Kevin Williamson, Lois Duncan, the 2025 requel, and the state of the slasher revival in 2026.Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast WebsiteProduction History & Behind the Scenes▸ I Know What You Did Last Summer hit theaters October 17, 1997, less than a year after Scream cracked open the slasher market▸ Budget: $17 million; worldwide gross: $125 million (7.4x return) — held #1 for three consecutive weekends including Halloween▸ Kevin Williamson wrote the screenplay before Scream but couldn't get it greenlit until Columbia reversed course after Scream's success▸ Shot primarily in Southport, North Carolina; opening sequence filmed in Sonoma County, CaliforniaThe Cast That Almost Wasn't▸ Reese Witherspoon passed on Julie James; Jennifer Love Hewitt originally auditioned for Helen, switched mid-read▸ Ryan Phillippe landed Barry after Witherspoon recommended him (they were dating at the time)▸ Sarah Michelle Gellar was cast two weeks before shooting based on the unreleased Buffy pilot▸ Freddie Prinze Jr. lost the Billy Loomis role in Scream to Skeet Ulrich, auditioned four or five times for Ray, almost quit after a stunt went wrong▸ Gellar and Prinze Jr. met on this film and never share a single line of dialogue with each otherMegan's Childhood Trauma: The Full Story▸ Nine years old, newly moved into a creaky 1960s bungalow, watching alone in the basement on VHS rental▸ The Helen chase sequence through the family store combined with unfamiliar house noises created real panic▸ Had to stop the movie; didn't finish it for two years▸ Revisiting it now: nostalgia carries the film more than genuine scares, but the jump scares remain effectiveScript, Plot Structure & the Scream Comparison▸ Adapted from Lois Duncan's 1973 YA suspense novel [LINK: I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan]▸ Duncan was critical of the slasher adaptation; the novel features no deaths and focuses on psychological trauma▸ The Ben Willis / David Egan backstory creates a convoluted puzzle that the film doesn't fully explain on screen▸ Johnny Galecki's character Max was reshot as a kill to solve a 35-minute pacing gap with no deaths▸ Original ending (Julie gets an email) was deliberately shot poorly by director Jim Gillespie to force a reshootThe I Know What You Did Last Summer Franchise in 2026▸ The 2025 requel brings back Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. alongside a new cast led by Madelyn Cline▸ In a Violent Nature 2 starring Ry Barrett is in post-production for a 2026 release▸ Scream 7, also written by Kevin Williamson, continues the 90s slasher franchise revival trend▸ The broader slasher revival reflects audience fatigue with "elevated horror" and a hunger for visceral, nostalgic genre thrillsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Follow us & Subscribe:Spotify<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gr
About Grave Tone: Horror Podcast
Grave Tone is a horror podcast covering the genre across books, film, TV, and games. From cult classics to fresh nightmares, we dig into the stories that scare us — and why we can’t stop coming back for more. Whether it’s a blood-soaked slasher, a slow-burn psychological thriller, or the horror novel everyone’s talking about, we cover it all. If it bleeds, reads, streams, or screams… it’s on Grave Tone.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Grave Tone: Horror Podcast daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Grave Tone: Horror Podcast as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Grave Tone: Horror Podcast podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Grave Tone: Horror Podcast product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Meaghan Mains.
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How often does Grave Tone: Horror Podcast release new episodes?
Grave Tone: Horror Podcast publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Grave Tone: Horror Podcast cover?
Grave Tone: Horror Podcast covers topics including Film, TV & Film. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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